A Beautiful Letdown
by abstractXromance
Summary: Following the conclusion of KHII: Separation is taking its toll on Roxas and Axel. Doubt is clouding Sora's mind while something, or someone, else is clouding Riku's.
1. Prologue

A/N: A friend and I have this crap-tastic comic we update once a week. I decided it would be cool to form that into a fanfic. I changed some of the things that happened and added some stuff, but what can ya do? Let me know if you would like a link to the comic.

Disclaimer: KH is not mine, but I like to write about it.

* * *

_A Beautiful Letdown_

_Chapter 1: Prologue_

* * *

_A short time after the conclusion of Kingdom Hearts 2..._

Cool metal seemed to slice rather easily through Hades' ghostly body. Short black hair dripping with sweat stuck to the forehead of the King of the Underworld's slayer. The man removed his weapon from the ex-ruler and snickered to himself. He quickly turned around, red cloak flapping in the stale wind of the underground. The man shot a quick look back at his now slain opponent.

"Stay dead this time," Auron murmured.

His head whipped back to its original position as Final Fantasy victory music rang through the empty cavern. _Since when do I get reception down here? _His fingers flipped open the sleek black cell phone.

"What do you want," Auron wasn't good with hello's, goodbye's or people in general.

"_It's taken care of boss,"_ replied an unknown voice.

"Good. Hades is gone," he said as he continued his way down a seemingly endless road.

"_Great. There's just one problem," _worry filled the other's voice.

"And what would that be?"

"_It's the Organization..."_

"I'll deal with it," with that Auron closed his phone and quickened his pace. _I don't need _them_ messing with _my_ Underworld._

* * *

Auron's pace stopped outside a red door equipped with a spray painted Organization symbol. His face tensed at the thought of those punks defacing his newly claimed property. After a heavy sigh he pushed the door forward. 

His eyes widened at the sight laid before him. All of Organization XIII were there, but a tad different. Most of the members seemed, well, gay. He had known that the powers the Underworld possessed could have side effects on newly dammed souls, but this was ridiculous. Most of the time new entrants to Hell would be without strength, or have changed in appearance, this was the first case of homosexuality he had ever heard of.

Xemnas stood in the corner of the room with a microphone and a can of beer screeching the lyrics to what Auron could only assume was a song from _Atlantica._ How he had despised that place. Thank God he had only heard stories pertaining to the horrors of the musically challenged oceanic nightmare known as Atlantica and had never ventured there himself.

Xigbar and Xaldin were in _pajama pants_ fighting over a bag of Doritos while the kid with the blonde mulle-hawk known as Demyx played some j-pop song on Dance Dance Revolution.

He turned his glance to the other side of the room hoping to see someone, anyone, acting like a normal human being instead of a metro sexual idiot. Instead he found Vexen, Lexaeus, Saix and Luxord half naked playing strip poker. A violent shuddered passed along the man's body, but the torture wasn't yet over.

Zexion was found in the adjacent corner engulfed in a novel. Auron lifted his sunglasses and squinted to read the title of the mystery novel. He couldn't make out the words, but instead saw two naked men holding each other_. Yaoi manga, perfect, _the man thought as he searched for anyone that seemed normal.

Poor Larxene sat by herself at a table. Her eyes starring intently at what appeared to be a lesbian magazine, trying ever so hard to ignore all the commotion going on around her.

Axel and Roxas could be found at the bar that someone had built in the little time the Organization had been in the Underworld. Roxas leaned lazily on a wall, bottle of beer in hand while Axel stood dangerously close to the blonde, hands moving all over the other's body.

Auron's gaze was interrupted by a flash of pink hair. Marluxia was in his black cloak, like normal, what wasn't normal was the skipping while singing 'Baby One More Time.' Maluxia didn't notice Auron's disgusted face and grabbed a basket off of Larxene's table. He took a hand full of its contents and flung them about the room.

_Flowers, fucking flowers, _behind his sunglasses, Auron's left eye had acquired a new ability: the twitch of disgust.

Just then he heard Axel's voice and turned to see what the boy was up to. "Hey Roxie, how impaired do you think your judgment is right now?" Axel snickered as his hands made their way up Roxas' shirt.

Something snapped in Auron's head, "Oh, hell no! I did not leave the living world for this!" His voice echoed through the now silent room. "Axel, get your ass over here, now." The redhead obeyed the loud, demanding man and made his way through the room.

"What the hell is going on down here? I leave you guys alone for two damn hours and the door is spray painted and everyone's gay," Auron's face was red with anger.

"I dunno," Axel shrugged. "Ever since I got here I've had this overwhelming want to have relations with almost every man I've seen."

Auron shuddered, "Dear Jesus."

"Not you, silly," Axel playfully nudged the taller man's shoulder.

The older man pressed his fingers against his temples, "Tell me, Axel, is there _anything else_ that is different with you and the Organization besides being obnoxious and gay."

"Not really. Although I do kinda miss my soul..." Axel looked away for a moment.

"What do you mean?"

"I don't know," somehow Axel had snapped into a semi-serious mode. "I just feel like all the kisses I've been getting from Roxas don't mean anything. Like all of this is in vain...I feel empty when I stop to think about it..." Axel looked up and smiled, "So that's why I try not to think while I'm done here." With that, the 21-year-old's attention span died and he was off to mess with Roxas once again.

Auron walked into the room and sat down on the couch. He looked up to the TV where Demyx was playing DDR. The song made his eye twitch. _I'm the ruler of the Underworld, and I can't come up with a way to get these creeps out of here? Wait...I am the ruler. What the hell? I can do what I want._ The man stood up and clapped his hands.

"Attention Ogranization XIII," his voice boomed though out the room. The entire Organization stopped dead in their tracks. "I can't deal with all of this and am willing to strike a deal with you guys."

"What can't you deal with?" Larxene asked.

Auron pointed to Marluxia who was still tossing flowers into the air, "I can't deal with Marluxia being a damn fairy and you guys reaching havoc about my Underworld. I don't have time to babysit, so, that being said, who wants their soul back?" Auron had to get rid of them somehow.

He had all the Organization's attention as they all smiled the thought of having their lives back.

"Well, being as I now have all these new powers, I think I can arrange for you all to return to the living world, soul's and heart's intact, if you all agree to come back to the Underworld whenever I need you assistance," he glanced around the room and saw all members nodding in approval. "Then I'll have the contract drawn up at once. You'll be gone before dusk." _Thank God._

Auron walked back towards the door and flipped open his cell, hitting one and send as he walked. "Reno, I need your assistance."

"_Yes, boss."_

* * *

"Axey! We get to go back home!" Roxas said as he grabbed his cloak and put it on. 

The redhead walked behind his lover and placed his arms around his lover's waist, nuzzling his face in blonde hair, "I wonder where Auron's taking us."

"I don't care as long as you're there," Roxas turned around in his love's arms. "Don't ever leave me."

"Why would I do that?" Axel smirked as he took the younger boy's lips into his own. "I'll never leave you."

"Promise?"

"Promise."

* * *

Auron had all the 13 Organization members stand in the center of the Underdome. Auron knew all he had to do is wave his arm to send the Organization to the land of the living, but where was the fun in that? 

Instead he rose his katakana and parted the clouded sky. Down came lightening that sent chills down some of the Organization's back. The ground below the 13 turned a blinding yellow as the lightening struck around them.

And then, there were none.

* * *

Strands of stray redhair flew in the wind. Green eyes peered onto the crowded city street, people passed by him like he wasn't even there. He tried to speak to one of them, but they hurried off the other way. Axel resorted to pinching himself to make sure he was actually alive. _Ouch, yep I'm here. But where am I?_

Axel spun around and faced an endless line of sky scrapers. Cars whizzed by the streets, most were yellow taxis. He gazed up at a giant billboard, _Damn, does that look familiar._

He looked down at himself, he wasn't wearing his usual black cloack, instead he was clad in a pair of tight fitting black jean-like slightly torn pants and a short-sleeved dress shirt. A black and red stripped tie hung loosely at his neck while his left arm was in a black and grey arm sock. _I've looked worse, _he thought to himself and he moved his right hand through his stiff hair. As he brought his right arm into view he noticed a black and white wristband.

"Roxas," he whispered. Tears formed in the corners of his eyes. Axel turned a full 360 degrees in search of his lost love. No blonde spikes were insight. "Where are you..."

* * *

This will be the last short entry. Unlike my other story, this one shall have around 3000-4000 words per entry. Woo? 

I don't know the entire direction this thing is going on, but whatever.

Reviews are nice, but not required.

--Em


	2. Sic Transit Gloria

A/N: Okay, so not as long as I would have liked, but I decided to just stick to Roxas' side of what was going on this chapter. Next one will most likely be Axel's. Hopefully, you understand.

* * *

_A Beautiful Letdown _

_Chapter 2: Sic Transit Gloria_

* * *

Seeing the Organization disappear from the Underworld brought Auron great joy. A smile crept to the man's lips as he walked back to his newly claimed palace. Once he got to his castle, Auron decided to take a much-needed rest. Being the living dead, he hadn't needed sleep, just time to enjoy silence and reflect on the day's events. Just as he had found a relaxing place deep in his thoughts, his cell phone rang. 

"What do you want?" said an irate Auron.

"_We have another problem," _Reno responded. The redhead hated calling Auron with problems all the time, he seemed like a pest, but lately, all there were, were problems.

It never seized to amaze Auron how, just when things finally looked up, something else would come crashing down, "Now what?"

"_Well, when we sent the Organization to the living world, not all of them ended up in the same place," _Reno paused to take a sip of his coffee.

"Okay, so, what's the problem in that?" Auron personally didn't give a shit where those kids were, as long as they weren't polluting his kingdom. If it wasn't for their unique fighting abilities, he would have sent the little brats as far into hell as they would go.

"_I have received word of an uprising among the remaining nobodies and heartless. It appears they have joined forces. Without the help of the Organization, they will most likely take us over," _Reno's voice was just as calm as ever. He didn't want to show his new boss the fear that hid inside of him.

"Fuck. Can't we have Cid track them or something?" at this point, all Auron wanted to do was beat the shit out of someone. There was no such thing as peace for him. Ever. Something always had to suck in his life. Always.

"_Not that easy. They're all in the same city, just different quadrants. They're in New York City. And let's be honest, none of them are smart enough to track each other."_

"Ugh, You're right. And let me guess, Cid's devices can't track them because of all the satellite and radio activity in that damn massive city," the man slumped down onto a chair. This was going to be a long night.

"_Yep. I suggest sending someone in to find them before the battle begins."_

A smirk graced Auron's lips, "Looks like I have a volunteer."

"_Uh, wait, no. I meant send someone else,"_ he had just gotten comfortable in his new place, leaving wasn't an option for him, but then again, he didn't really have a choice.

"Too late. Tomorrow you and Rude shall embark on the mission. Best of luck," Auron didn't give the boy a chance to refute as he ended the call and turned off his cell. The man picked himself up and found his way back to the couch. He was going to get some rest, or there would be hell to pay.

* * *

Roxas sat on a park bench facing a lake with happy couples fishing and riding paddle boats upon it. If he squinted, he could see a wedding taking place on the far side of the lake. It wasn't a big wedding from what he could see, but he knew size didn't matter with those types of things. 

A sigh fell to his lips as he looked to the sky. A perfect day. Not too hot with a cool breeze. Sunny. Fluffy white clouds. Perfect. Except for one problem: Axel wasn't there to share the day with him.

The blonde managed to pull himself from the bench and continue on his quest to find his lover. He had been looking since early this morning when he arrived in the middle of the Village. He guessed it was now sometime after 5:00 p.m. and no sign of his redheaded beauty. Roxas knew New York was a big, but the pictures he had seen before had not done the city its justice. It had taken him a good three hours just to locate Central Park, now that he had found it; he had gotten lost on its pathways.

The park was a nice break from the endless skyscrapers and taxis, but he knew that once the sun had set, the nice park would be infested with the crime that lurked throughout the city that never slept. He had to find a place to stay, but first he needed nourishment.

His hand worked its way into his back pocket and pulled out a black and white checkered wallet. Roxas opened it and saw that all his munny had been replaced with green and off-white bills. They didn't seem as sturdy as munny and smelt ten times worse. He took out the small stack of paper and began to count.

_Holy shit..._he thought to himself. _Over 3000 munny, or whatever this is called._ His eyes lit up at the idea of having enough money for a sandwich and a shitty hotel room. Back in Twilight Town, that's all 3000 munny could afford.

Something else in his wallet caught his eye: tiny plastic rectangles .His fingers flipped through the cards. There were five cards in his wallet: an ID, bankcard, and three cards that said Visa, Mastercard or American Express. He didn't know what the last three were, exactly, but the word 'credit' on them made him believe he had even more munny he could spend. _At least Auron left us with cash, even if he had fucked up and separated us._

Roxas' eyes glanced over his ID once more. 'Roxas Haiuka. Birthdate 08/29/1986.' _What the hell? I'm not going to be turning 21 in a few weeks, I'll be 16. I guess people here age differently than back at home.  
_

He put his wallet safely into his back pocket. Black converse hit the pavement at a increasing speed as Roxas went on his way to find a sandwich. A good 10 minutes after the start of his journey and he found himself back in the midst of the city. He saw a small restaurant, conveniently called 'Restaurant' (**1**), about a block ahead of him. Blonde hair remained stiff despite the rapid pace Roxas was taking to get to the place of food.

Roxas walked through the glass door only to be hit with some intense A/C. A much-needed shiver raced down the young adults body. A brunette waitress smiled at him as she pointed toward a booth for him to sit at. Before Roxas could sit down on the maroon seat, someone dive tackled him to the floor.

The person screeched, "ROXAS!!! I never thought I would see you again!" Tan arms wrapped around Roxas' waist.

Roxas pushed the other off of him only to see a mess of familiar brown spiked hair, "Sora? How did you...Why are you here, of all places?"

Sora rolled his blue eyes, "Because everyone thought it would be best if me, Riku and Kairi went somewhere safe and far away. But that doesn't matter, because you're here now!" The over-excited brunette wrapped himself around Roxas.

"Heh, It's good to see you, too. Let's get some lunch and we can catch up," he pried himself out of the bear hug and walked over to the booth he had tried to sit at before. Sora followed with a huge toothy grin on his face. "So, how long have you been here?" Roxas said as he situated himself comfortably in the booth. It had been hours since comfort was an option.

Sora signaled the waitress to come over and take their orders, "About a month or two." Both ordered coffee. Roxas ordered a reuben while Sora got a triple cheeseburger.

"Really? I just got here today," Roxas took a long sip of the coffee. The warm liquid felt good as it seeped down into his stomach. "I didn't look at the prices. How much do you think this is going to cost me? I only have 3000 of this munny or whatever."

Sora laughed, "Well, coffee and a sandwich will probably cost about four or 5 _dollars._" He had put a special emphasis on 'dollars' hoping his friend would catch on.

The blonde chocked on his caffienated beverage, "What?! So, I'm practically rich!" He grinned at the idea of having cash for once in his life.

"Yep," blue eyes looking at his friend. Well, actually, his nobody, but here, there were no such things. "So, where are you staying tonight?"

"I figured I would rent a hotel room or something until I can get a job," he hadn't thought too far in advance, after all, it was his first day in a new world.

"What about Axel?" Sora took another gulp of his coffee, finishing his first cup. He looked up to find pain and sadness in Roxas' eyes. "Oh, I didn't mean…"

"It's fine," Roxas turned his head to look out the glass door for a moment to conceal the hurt on his face. "I haven't seen him since I got here. I've been looking all day, but this city is gigantic…I don't know if I'll ever find him." The young adult slumped down the booth. For about five minutes he had forgotten about his lost love, now that he had remembered, his mind wouldn't let him forget it. He lost himself momentarily in thoughts of Axel's arms wrapped around him, his lips kissing his own…

"Sure you will," said Sora with an optimistic tone. "But until you do, we can find an apartment. I have a job with the Times as a freelancer. It's not enough for me to get an apartment on my own, so I've been looking for a roomie." A grin appeared on his face as he eyed Roxas.

The blonde couldn't be sad with Sora looking like a complete idiot. He laughed a little, "Ok. Sounds good. Less I have to worry about."

Their conversation paused as their food arrived at the table. Somewhere between Roxas' third and fourth mouthful of glorious sandwich, it dawned on him, "What about Riku?"

The brunette sitting across from him immediately stopped eating, practically chocking on a pickle, "Well, we.. we're not talking anymore."

Roxas couldn't believe his ears, "What? Why? You two were close, almost too close for comfort. What happened?" He noticed Sora shaking his head. He knew the other didn't want to talk about it, but something was off and Roxas was going to find out just what it was. "Seriously, what happened? I won't let you leave until you tell me."

Sora took a long drink of his coffee before he began his explanation, "To make a long story short, Riku told me he liked me… as more than just friends, and I didn't react very well, and just stopped talking to him." His eyes fell to the table and starred intently at the half eaten burger that lay before him.

"Well, do you like him? As more than a friend?" inquiring minds wanted to know. He had always suspected the two might swing on the same side as him and Axel, but never had any concrete confirmation.

"At first, I was appalled. I didn't want anything to do with him. I thought liking a boy was weird and wrong. No offense to you," he glanced as Roxas to make sure he hadn't hurt his friend's feelings. Sure enough Roxas shook his head and acknowledged his friend's apology. Sora continued, "I liked Kairi and not Riku. But now…," tears formed in the corner of his blue eyes, "Now, I miss him more than anything."

"So, you do like him?" Sora nodded. "Then we need to find him."

Sora sighed, "I tried that, but when I moved out of our apartment two weeks ago, he left, too. I went back there a few nights ago, and he was gone." His cheery voice was on the verge of a breakdown. Roxas wasn't going to let that happen.

"Now, don't get all depressed on me, that's my job," Roxas forced himself to smile, even though his heart poured out to his friend, "We'll find Riku, and Axel, and all will be right with the world."

Sora nodded as he stood. Without a word the brunette whisked himself out of the restaurant, leaving a very confused Roxas. Before the blonde could fully comprehend what had happened, Sora was back at the table with magazines in his hand.

"What the hell was that?" Roxas said, still very confused at what had just taken place. One minute his friend was crying, the next he was running around like a ninny.

Sora pushed one of the magazines at him, "We need to start looking for apartments. Right now I'm bunking with a guy from work, and I don't think he likes me much."

"Oh, right," the blonde opened the periodical and began his quest for a place to live. Shouldn't be too hard with over $3000. How he was mistaken.

The two spent the next hour sipping coffee and looking through the renter's guides making phone calls to perspective apartments. Without Sora's help, Roxas would be living in the ghetto in a studio apartment without water. The poor boy not only didn't know the city, he had no concept of its currency. Each listing had some malfunction, be it no refrigerator or a douche bag landlord, there were problems. Finally, one listing stood out from the rest. Low(er) prices, decent neighborhood and two bedrooms—good enough.

"It says here that the landlord's name is Vincent Valentine," Roxas said as he passed the Sora's cell back to him. They had been taking turns calling perspectives.

"Oh, Vincent! Woo!" Sora's face lit up.

"You know him?"

"Not directly. I think he was a friend of Cloud's. Cloud was friend's with Leon, they were pretty close if you know what I mean," Sora winked. "Anyways, you probably don't know either of them, but maybe me knowing Cloud will help our chances," Sora quickly dialed the number. Roxas zoned out while his friend talked with Vincent, taking in all that had happened in the past 24 hours, hoping the next would be slightly less intense.

"We can move in tonight!" Sora snapped the phone shut, signaling Roxas out of his non-existent state of being.

Roxas shook his head and regained his motor functions, "Really? That easy?"

"Yep, apparently knowing Cloud makes me God in his eyes," the brunette chuckled. "Maybe he likes him or something."

"Doubt it. Didn't you say Cloud had a thing for Leon," come to think of it, all the guys he knew from back home seemed to have a thing for other guys. Weird.

"That doesn't mean Vincent can't like Cloud," Sora grinned. They paid for their meal and pushed themselves onto the busy streets of New York. They were about halfway to where Sora was staying before Sora broke their silence, "Are you ready to begin your new life?"

Roxas stopped walking and looked up to the sky. The sun was setting and the blue sky had turned a bright pink with purple highlights. It reminded him of Twilight Town. He looked back down to the city and saw sky scrappers everywhere, not as beautiful as back home, but it would do, "I guess I don't really have a choice."

As soon as he found Axel, things would be back to normal. Maybe they could move out of the city and rent a house or something. Roxas shook his head to clear his thoughts of his lost love as he followed Sora, once more, further into the city.

* * *

**1. Restaurant- the place from Seinfeld. I love that show.**

I like this story; it's more in depth than my other one. There will be many twists. A few will probably be in the next chapter. Don't expect too much in the ways of yaoi just yet. I'll have a few flashbacks here and there, I'm sure, but not too much until Axel and Roxas find each other. The M rating is basically because I have the tendency to curse like a sailor.

Hope you enjoyed. Reviews are nice, but not necessary.

--Sarah Emily


	3. Question the Answer

Sorry for the delay. I was in Canada, then got a tiny hamster named Sephiroth (I love him), then decided to rent Oldin Sphere, and finally bought KH: Chain of Memories. It's been an intense week. I hope you all enjoy this here last introductory chapter that took forever to get out.

* * *

_A Beautiful Letdown_

_Chapter 3: Question the Answer_

* * *

Coffee shops in New York City were about as crowded as the streets. It was like caffeine was up there with air to New Yorkers. Unfortunately, Axel didn't know this as he sauntered into Starbuck's. The line was astronomical, curling back and forth throughout the shop. Axel didn't understand why, after all, there was a Starbuck's on nearly every corner of New York, or so he had seen.

The line moved at an excruciatingly slow pace, Axel took the time to memorize the menu. Nothing else he could do. He was about six or seven people from the front when he realized he had no idea how much munny he actually had. A hand reached to his back pocket and opened the wallet. His munny had been replaced with paper. Cat-like green eyes read the markings on the paper, "Federal Reserve Note. The United States of America. One hundred dollars." There were other words on the bill, but they didn't matter. Now Axel knew where he was and had more than enough cash to get some coffee before continuing his journey to find Roxas.

As he paid the lady five dollars for his caramel frappucino, he spotted a table next to a window with a newspaper on it. Axel sat himself down and read over the paper. There was a surprisingly interesting column on the U S's involvement on Iraq. He read a hint of sarcasm in the column. His eyes glanced over the writer's name, "Sora Kaida."

"It couldn't be. Not here," Axel shook his head in disbelief. Fingers filed through pages and sections until he found the one he needed, the classifieds. He skimmed over names and numbers of people who needed roommates until one name stood out. He recognized it from somewhere, probably from back home.

Judging by what he had seen in with the prices of coffee, he took a pen and started to do some calculations until he reached an acceptable number in terms of what he thought rent should be. Reading over the listing, he noticed his rent price matched the one listed. He stood from his table and left the shop in search of a pay phone.

About three blocks down the road, he spotted one. After waiting for the person inside to finish their call, he pushed two coins into the machine and dialed the number on the listing.

"_Hello," _Responded the person on the other line.

"Hi, uh I'm Axel. Is this Riku?" Axel asked.

"_Yeah."_

"I saw your listing in the paper. You still need a roommate?" Axel needed him to say yes. He knew he would most likely not see Roxas today, so they couldn't get a place anytime soon. As of right now, Axel was homeless and utterly alone.

"_Yeah, I am. You interested?"_ Riku needed a roommate almost as much as Axel needed a place to stay. He had just moved in the place and needed money for the deposit. If he couldn't get the money in time, it would be back on the streets for him, or worse.

"Yep,"Axel ran a hair through his hair.

"_My address is 3328 Alton Rd Apartment 412. Come down today if you get the chance. We'll talk," _Riku had taken yet another day off of work. The past two weeks had been hell. Maybe today would be better.

"See you in 20," Axel hung up the phone. No, he didn't know where Alton road was, but luckily he was in New York City. Tourists were everywhere, that meant so were tourist shops. All he had to do was turn around and there stood a souvenir shop. He entered bought a map and set forth to his soon to be apartment.

The walk hadn't taken as long as Axel thought it would. Then again, he didn't have a watch or cell to know exactly what time he had left or what time it was now. He glanced up to were the sun hung in the sky. He guessed it to be somewhere around 4:00 p.m. His glaze moved from the sun to the name of the apartments, "Radiant Towers." He pushed through the doors and buzzed number 412.

Axel made his way to the apartment and knocked on the door. It opened to reveal a man about as tall as himself with long silver hair, "I'm taking it you're Riku."

"That's the name," the man raised a pale, yet toned, arm and ran his fingers through his hair. "Come in." Riku moved from the door to reveal his home to his potential roommate.

Axel took in the sight of his potential new home. It was small, but what can you expect from a Manhattan apartment? Riku showed Axel to the dinning room, which was really just an extension to the kitchen. He took a seat and waited for Riku to start asking questions.

"You're not from around here are you?" Riku asked as he poured the two some coffee.

The question startled Axel. He had expected something more along the lines of, "Do you have a job?" or "Are you on drugs?" He didn't quiet know how to answer the question without provoking many more. "No, not exactly," he said.

Riku took a seat at the table and slid the coffee to Axel, "Neither am I." The silver-haired man sipped on his coffee.

_What is this guy getting at?_ Axel thought to himself.

The silence hung over the two before Riku finally broke it, "You know Sora, don't you?"

Axel chocked on his beverage. He coughed to clear his throat, regaining his composure. "I know _a_ Sora. I don't know if we're talking about the same one."

"Short, spunky, always smiling, hails from Destiny Islands, brown spikes that defy gravity, crown necklace, blue eyes..." Riku trailed off for a moment. He shook his head and came back from his thoughts, "Know him?"

"Actually, I do. You're the guy he had been looking for," Axel remembered Sora asking him once or twice about a guy named Riku and some girl who's name was above him at the moment.

"And you're the one that went level five kamikaze to save his life," Riku's eyes traveled up from his coffee to settle on Axel who nodded his head at the accusation. "Thank you."

"I had to. Roxas was a part of him at the time. I couldn't let him get hurt," sadness filled Axel's mind. He shook his head and continued with their conversation, "How is Sora anyway? I'm assuming he's here as well."

Riku tensed and flipped his hair into his eyes. No one needed to see him look depressed. He was supposed to be the strong one, "He's here, _somewhere._ Things didn't work out between us and he left. That's why I need a roommate."

"Oh, sorry man," Axel dropped the conversation noticing the tension building around Riku. "Hey, have you seen Roxas around?"

"Nope. You looking for him?" Riku had only met Roxas a few times, one of which he tried to kill him. He figured that was in the past by now.

"Yeah. We got separated when we arrived in the city earlier today. I hope he's alright," Axel's eyes moving past the man and to the window.

"He's a tough kid. I'm sure he's alright," judging by what Riku had seen of Roxas in the past, he figured the boy would be fine.

"I hope so..." Axel paused. "Well, we kind of know each other already, so if it's alright with you, I can move in and help you out," Axel hoped their connection would get him a warm bed to sleep in.

"Yeah, alright. Where's all your stuff?" Riku asked.

Axel laughed, "What stuff? I was a nobody, we didn't have anything to begin with."

"Oh, right. So you don't even have a job?" He already knew the answer to that question, but thought he would ask anyway. After all, the point of having a roommate would be to pay bills. One needs a job to have money to do so.

"Nope, but I do have over $3000 and have bar tending skills like you wouldn't believe," Axel grinned at the man sitting across from him.

"Consider yourself no longer homeless," Riku rose from the table and extended a hand to the other man. Axel took it and shook it firmly. "Let's go get you a job, some clothes, and you're boy back."

"What about singing the lease?" Axel wanted to go find Roxas, but he knew there was protocol to follow when moving in with someone.

"Well, our landlord is a bit of a vampire," Riku laughed. "Okay, not a vampire, but he sure as hell sends out vampire vibes. He won't be in until 7 or 8. That leaves us a few hours to spare."

"Right..." Axel didn't even want to question what Riku had just said, nor was he looking forward to meeting this creature of the night. "So, where to?"

"Who knows? It's a big city. Some bar some where has to be hiring. We'll start on my street and work our way around," Riku grabbed a hoodie from the floor and disappeared out the front door.

* * *

"So, is Axel your nobody?" Rude asked as he stretched out on a subways seat.

Reno stood in the aisle holding on to the safety rail. Rude had seemed to have been playing 20 questions since they both arrived in the city. He rolled his eyes, "That would mean I was a heartless at some point. Now, have I been a heartless lately?"

"Not to my knowledge," Rude answered.

"Well then Axel isn't my nobody, now is he?" Rude shook his head as Reno continued to speak. "Just because we have red hair, tattoos on our faces, are pale and wear black a lot doesn't mean we're related. My god. Our names aren't even similar, at all. Everyone knows Organization members' names are derived from their others' real names." Reno was sick of being asked if he was some how related to Axel. If one more person even thought he was, it would surely send him over the deep end.

"Chill out. It was just a question," Rude hadn't expected his friend to react so harshly.

"I know, but I have been asked that damn question so many times. Anyways, isn't this our stop?" Rude nodded and both walked out of the subway, emerging into, yet another, busy New York street.

"Why do we need to find these guys again?" Rude asked as he followed his friend.

"You need to learn to pay attention," Reno shook his head. "The heartless and nobodies teamed up. If we don't get all of the Organization back to the Underworld, they'll take it over and use its powers to destroy everything." Oh, how many times he had repeated those words to his companion.

"So, we need the Organization because of their 1337 fighting skills?" Rude continued on with his questions.

Reno continued answering, "No, we need them to bake cookies. Of course we need their fighting skills. Get with the fucking program."

Rude asked yet another question, "How are we going to find them?"

Except this time Reno didn't have an answer, "Well, I don't know. I'm just trying to find Cid's shop at this point. I'm hoping he got that upgrade, if not, then we're fucked." One thing was for sure, Reno did not want to return to Auron without the Organization. That would not be a pretty sight. Reno shuddered at the idea.

* * *

It had taken longer than Roxas had imagined to get all of Sora's belongings into a taxi. The sun hung low in the sky as they piled in the yellow car and headed toward the apartment. The building wasn't run down, it actually looked nice compared to all the other apartment building surrounding it. Roxas counted five stories before he grabbed some of Sora's belongings and entered the building.

"Vincent said we needed to meet him in his office to get the keys," Sora said as he plopped a suitcase and bags outside a door marked 'Rental Office.'

"He's still in there?" Roxas glanced to a clock on the wall. "It's after 7."

"He said he would be there until 10 or 11," Sora knocked on the door. The door opened to reveal Vincent in all his glory.

Vincent Valentine wasn't the kind to have a welcoming appearance, he always wore tight black clothing and a red cape. His long, wild black hair was held away from his face by a red bandanna. He didn't care if he was in a new world, his appearance would never change.

"I take you're Sora and Roxas," Vincent said. Both nodded. "Come in."

Roxas followed Sora into the small room. He noticed paintings on the walls of places not of this world. Roxas assumed they were of Vincent's home.

As Sora and Roxas sat before the man, he spoke, "There are only a few rules that my tenets must follow: number one- rent is due on the 18th, number two- rent _is_ due on the 18th."

"So, I take it rent is due on the 18th," Roxas muttered under his breath followed by a quick chuckle.

"Do not patronize me," Roxas could tell the man never spoke with exclamation, nor did he appreciate jokes. "Trust me, you do not want to see what will happen if you turn your rent in late," Vincent said as his eyes locked onto Roxas'. The action sent a chill down the blonde's spine.

Sora could sense the stale air that was being exchanged, "So, do Cloud and Leon live here, too?" He hoped bringing Cloud into the mix would put a better impression on Vincent.

"They'll be living across the hall from you. I made sure of it," if Roxas squinted, the could see a hint of a smile on Vincent's lips at the thought of Cloud. His hand pushed a few small objects across the table, "Here's your keys and your lease"

"Thanks," Sora reached out and took the keys. Roxas and Sora signed the contract without a glance. Sora handed the paper back to Vincent. He nodded at both their signatures.

"See you later!" Sora said as he and Roxas rose to leave the room.

"Before you leave," both turned to face their new landlord, "the building will be having a welcome party for its new tenets a week from tomorrow. Will you be joining?"

Roxas knew this wasn't a question, "Of course. We love parties." Sora nodded with fervor.

Both boys left the office. Roxas knelt down to grab some of Sora's belongings, "He definitely has it for Cloud."

"Told ya!" Sora practically ran to the elevator, suitcases in hand.

"What's the big hurry? Our apartment will be there all day," Roxas followed at a much slower pace despite Sora's waving for him to move faster.

"I want to see Leon! I haven't seen him in months. I thought he was still back at Radiant Gardens. I miss him, and Cloud, and everyone so much. Leon helped me-"

Roxas cut his friend off short, "Okay. I get the point." It never seized to amaze Roxas how Sora could go off on tangents about almost anything.

They rode elevator to the fifth floor and made their way to apartment 512. Roxas had looked forward to having an evening full of unpacking and lounging, but when Sora threw his bags to the floor and ran across the hall, Roxas knew his plans had been discarded.

Sora knocked on the door, shooting back a big toothy grin to Roxas who was slowly making his way to his friend. When the door finally opened, a tall brunette stood in the frame. Before the man had a chance to say anything, Sora dive tackled him to the ground. Roxas chuckled at Sora's enthusiasm.

"Woah there, Sora. Let me have room to breathe, kid," Leon smiled down to Sora, who nodded as he rolled off of the man. "Who's this?" Leon pointed in Roxas' general direction.

"Oh yeah!" Sora got up and pulled Roxas into the apartment. "This is Roxas. Back home he was my nobody, but here, he's my roommate!"

"Well, any friend of Sora's is a friend of mine," he put out a hand which Roxas shook. "Come inside. I made coffee."

Roxas and Sora sat as Leon gathered beverages for the three. He handed the two some coffee before getting a cup for himself, "So, you're living here, then?"

Sora nodded and answered before Roxas had even processed the question, "Yeah. We found the ad in the paper, and I noticed Vincent's name, so I mentioned Cloud, and that basically sealed the deal. Where is Cloud anyways?"

"When do you find time to breathe?" Leon asked with a laugh. "Cloud's down at the Lime Spider. He bar tends there four nights a week. He'll be home around 3 in the morning."

"Are you two together?" Sora asked bluntly.

A blush fell over the older brunette's face, "Well, yeah. We are." There was a brief pause before Leon spoke again, "What about you and Riku?"

Roxas noticed his friend's normally happy complexion disappear. He spoke before Sora, for once, "They have a few _issues_ to work out."

"Right," Leon nodded catching Roxas' drift. "What's your story?"

Roxas sighed and took a sip of his coffee, "I was in the Underworld for some time with the Organization. Then Auron sent us up here so we could have our lives back."

"You don't look like you're enjoying your life too much," Leon said.

"Yeah. My boyfriend, Axel, and I were separated on the trip here," Roxas looked down at the table.

Leon sensed the touchy subject and moved on to something he had hoped wouldn't provoke such drama, "So, the Organization. I'm taking it they're not the dicks they used to be."

Sora finally chimed in, "Hey! Watch it. Roxas was in the Organization!"

"It's okay, Sora," Roxas put a hand on Sora's shoulder. "No. Now we are basically in debt to Auron. So we'll be helping him out if he needs us."

"Gotcha," Leon stood and stretched out his back. A light shown down from an adjacent window illuminating Leon's toned abs through his white shirt and a scar between his eyes, "I'll help you guys move in. We have an extra TV and some stuff you can use until you get on your feet."

"Okay! But can we go see Cloud first?" Sora asked.

Leon laughed, "There's no way you're actually 21."

Roxas put a hand up, "Actually, in a little over a week, we will be."

"Interesting. Well, then tomorrow we'll go visit Cloud," Leon walked to the door, beckoning the others to follow.

"Sounds good," Sora followed Leon out the door, Roxas close behind. "Who knows, maybe Axel will be there, too."

"Doubt it," Roxas sighed as he made his way to the apartment. It had only been a day, and his hopes had already lessened significantly.

* * *

Not the most interesting of chapters, but it's the end of the introduction. I had to introduce characters and set up events that will matter later on. Loveless Lies is almost done, so this will be my main focus until I come up with something else.

Reviews are nice, but not necessary.

--Sarah Emily


	4. Close Yet Far

Ugh. This took forever to write. I have class until 3 and work until 9 everyday, except Saturdays. I work for 10 hours then. It blows...but.. I have a few breaks that I have been writing one. I hope I can stop sucking at life and updating more often.

In other news, my story got on the front page of my college newspaper today!

Disclaimer: Please don't make me explain this again. As a matter of fact, I'm not going to.

* * *

_A Beautiful Letdown_

_Chapter 4: Close Yet Far_

* * *

Apartments in New York City are somewhat of a joke. For $1000 dollars a month, you would be happy to see a one room dump with the space equivalent of a garage. Axel and Riku's apartment was extraordinary according to these expectations. Axel's room was about 12' by 12' and Riku's room was about the same. Just enough space for a twin bed, a dresser and a bookshelf. Of course, Axel didn't have any of these things, only a bed.

His alarm went off at noon. Yes, the man needed an alarm to get up at noon, with the night Riku and Axel had, who wouldn't. Axel let out a yawn as he stretched his long arms towards the heavens. He had to be at work by 3:00 p.m. _ At least one productive thing happened last night,_ Axel thought as he got his clothes together and headed toward the shower.

Last night started out all right. Riku took Axel to a few of the cheaper clothing shops around the city. He picked up a few pairs of pants and shirts. Everything was fine, that is, until Axel saw someone with spiked blond hair that wasn't Roxas. The redhead had a mini emotional breakdown conveniently located inside a bar.

Riku, being the great friend that he is, offered Axel a few drinks to make the kid feel better. It wasn't past 8:00 before Axel had his fill of alcohol. He wasn't really an obnoxious drunk, just an emotional drunk. An emotional drunk that liked whatever boy he could find. For some reason, the mind inside Axel's mess of red hair decided it would be a good idea to hit on the bar tender he thought had been Roxas.

Luckily for the drunken adult, the bar tender found his antics amusing. Axel practically told the poor guy his life story, except the part about being from a different realm. He glazed over that fact and focused on how he was without a boyfriend and a job. The bar tender said they had been looking for someone to come in during the day shift and gave him the job on the spot. _They had to have been real desperate to hire someone who was drunk in there bar, _Axel thought.

Riku dragged Axel from the bar around midnight. They had missed talking to the landlord, but hadn't missed Adult Swim on cartoon network. For whatever reason, Riku thought it would be a good idea to crack open a few beers for himself and Axel whilst they watched their cartoons.

Somehow, Axel began hitting on Riku during the anime portion of Adult Swim. He now blamed it on being overly intoxicated, although, from what he remembered, Riku had returned with a few pick up lines of his own.

As Axel exited his much needed shower, he smacked himself on the head. _I have Roxas. No matter where he is, he is still mine. I've got to stop, _Axel looked at himself in the mirror with disgrace. Out of sight out of mind wasn't an option for him. Axel dressed himself in a pair of tight fitting black jean-esque pants with a black band tee shirt. He honestly didn't care what he looked like for work. The worse the better. He figured that way he'll be less susceptible to being hit on.

It was about 12:50 when Axel finally emerged from the bathroom and made his way to the dinning room. Cat like eyes found his roommate sitting at the table enjoying a bowl of cereal.

"Glad to see you're actually awake," Riku said between bites of cinnamon toast crunch.

"Yeah," the male sat down at the table and grabbed an apple from a bowl. "We have to talk to that guy, right?"

"I told you, he's never in during the day. Only in the late afternoon and evening," said Riku in a matter of fact tone.

"Right." The room grew quite for a while. Only sounds of two men eating their "breakfast" could be heard.

Riku finally broke the silence, "So, that guy at the bar. The blond. He seemed oddly familiar."

Axel shrugged, "I don't know him." He stood from his seat and walked toward the door. "I'm heading to work. I'll be back around 10."

"You realize it's only one," Riku looked at Axel with question on his face.

Axel sighed as he opened the front door. He looked back at this new roommate and took a hoodie from the coat rack. "I'm going to try to find him."

* * *

One would think hearing other's problems for seven hours would make someone feel a little bit better about themselves, but for Axel, it only amplified the fact that he was practically alone in a big city. He grabbed his hoodie from behind the bar. He waved at th other tender and made his way to the street.

Axel smiled as he looked at his new cell. Riku had left a few texts of encouragement throughout the day. This one said, "We're going out tomorrow. All day. We'll find them if it kills us." For whatever reason, Riku's determination made Axel a bit happier. He hung his head low and texted his friend back.

A familiar voice echoed into Axel's ear. He turned around and only saw the door to the bar close. He shrugged and figured it was just his imagination.

"Tomorrow will be productive. It better be_," _Axel thought out loud as he wondered the few blocks back to the apartment.

* * *

Roxas sat on a couch in the living room of his new apartment. He sat in his own imagination, wondering what his love was up to. Axel could be doing a number of things, all of which didn't involve himself. Roxas sighed as Sora entered the small living room.

"We've done nothing all day...Let's go see Cloud!" Sora jumped onto Roxas.

Roxas pushed his other onto the ground, "I'm not feeling very sociable."

Sora just wouldn't take no for an answer, "But I haven't seen him in forever! Please, Roxas!" The brunet sat on his knees and looked up to his friend with puppy eyes.

A sigh passed through Roxas' lips, "Fine, but we'll go at 10. I'm going to nap for a few hours." Roxas rolled onto his side and curled up with a couch cushion.

"Ok! I'll get you up at 9:30 so we can get ready," Sora picked himself up from the floor and left Roxas to his dreams.

So the blond fell into a motionless sleep filled with dreams about what could be. Flashes of red hair and green eyes danced in his head. Roxas' unconscious mind told his lips to smile at the thought of Axel...

_Roxas stood in the middle of the street. Axel was close behind. The blond's words cut through the silence of the city, "No one would miss me."_

_As the blond walked away from his only friend, hushed words fell into his ears._

"_I would," Axel sighed._

_Roxas continued walking, ignoring the words he had heard, but they kept repeated in his head. Finally, he gave in to his thoughts and rushed back to his friend. _A few minutes won't matter in the whole scheme of things, _Roxas thought as he approached Axel._

_Axel sat, alone, leaning against a building. Roxas threw his arms around the redhead's neck, practically sitting in his lap._

"_I know you would miss me. I'll miss you, too," tears started to form in Roxas' eyes as he nuzzled his nose into Axel's stiff hair. "I have to go."_

_Axel's strong arms pushed Roxas back far enough so he could look into his eyes, "I know." Then he pulled his love close to his body. "Don't hate me for this, but Roxas..."_

_Roxas forced himself back so he could see Axel's face, "Yes?"_

"_I love you," Axel said._

_Roxas smiled, "I love you, too. So much." _

_He lunged forward and kissed the man in front of him. Their tongues fought for dominance,but, of course, Axel's won. Axel's hands moved to unzip the black cloak found on his lover. Roxas moaned into the kiss as hands grazed places that had yet to have been touched by the hands of any man..._

He immediately frowned as Sora jumped onto his body, waking him just at the moment he was dying to relive.

"Get dressed! I want to see Cloud!" Sora insisted.

Roxas' frown changed to a smile. He couldn't help but at least _pretend_ to be happy infront of his enthusiastic counterpart. But, still, how could Sora be so happy when his own love was no where to be found? Roxas pushed those thoughts to the back of his mind, "Okay. Okay. Give me 10."

He threw on a pair of tan-ish pants and a black shirt that had some intricate design crawling up his side. A few bracelets graced his wrists. He sighed a he remembered the location of his favorite one.

The walk to the Lime Spider was a short one. Only two city blocks away. It was around 10 when they arrived at the doors to the club.

Sora's attention went to the sound of a door further away closing. "I think Leon said to go in the back door since we're not 21, yet," Sora said.

Roxas looked up at the club. It was rather small. He wondered if people actually went to this place, "Well, we can try the front door. If they tell us we can't get in, then we'll go exploring."

Sora nodded as he pushed the door open. Roxas followed into the bar. He paused for a second when he heard someone talked behind him. His eyes gazed to the sidewalk where he saw a glimps of a man dressed in black. He squinted and noticed he was now walking away from the bar. _Must not have been talking to me, _Roxas shrugged and entered the bar.

The brunet took off running toward the bar. Roxas shook his head in disapproval as his nearly 21 year old other jumped over the bar and dive tackled Cloud to the ground. Sora had a thing for tackling.

"Cloud! I missed you!" Sora squeeled.

Cloud ruffled Sora's hair, "Missed you, too." His eyes moved to lock with Leon's. "You sure he's almost 21?"

Leon nodded, "That's what Roxas claimed."

Cloud picked himself off the floor and nodded in Roxas' direction, "I take it you're Roxas."

"That'd be me," Roxas walked from the doorway and took a seat at the bar. "Nice to meet you."

"Same to you," Cloud smiled. "So, drinks then?" Before anyone could say what they wanted, the older blond grabbed two Heineken's from the cooler. "Only beer until you're 21," Cloud said as he handed the beverages to his friends.

Conversation was light for a while. Cloud knew most of Roxas' background because of Leon. It was nice to just relax and have fun for once. Unfortunately, comfort is always interrupted.

"So, Leon told me about some guy named Axel," Cloud said, not knowing the pain he was causing by his statement.

"Um, yeah. He's my boyfriend," Roxas said slowly.

Cloud came from around the bar and took a seat between Leon and Roxas, "Where is he?"

Leon smacked his, sometimes stupid, boyfriend on the back of the head, "I told you, he doesn't know."

"No, it's okay," Roxas motioned for Leon to settle down. "I just miss him, that's all."

"He's tall, pale, skinny, red hair and has tattoos under his eyes. Haven't seen him, have you?" Sora chimed in.

Cloud leaned back in his seat, "Actually, a kid came in last night named Axel. He was pretty trashed and hitting on some kid with silver hair. Come to think of it, he was hitting on everyone in sight. We ended up hiring him for whatever reason."

Roxas took in the information and smiled, "Are you sure it was _my_ Axel?"

"I don't know, Roxas," Cloud said. "He mentioned he had, had a boyfriend, but he seemed pretty single to me."

Sora glanced at Roxas, who was downing his fourth beer. "Um, Cloud? Do you have a number or anything? Maybe we could call, just to make sure."

Cloud nodded and walked into a back room. He reappeared seconds later, "We don't have a number or a place of residence, yet. He hasn't filled out his paperwork."

"Call us next time he's working," Sora said as he scribbled his number on a napkin.

The bar tender took the napkin and added the number to his cell. His eyes glanced at Roxas, who was staring at his beverage, "Don't worry, kid. It will all work out."

"If you say so," Roxas mummered under his breath.

* * *

Cid's shop was anything besides impressing. Reno starred at the screen over Cid's shoulder, waiting impatiently for results.

A hand struck Reno's face. "Get outta my hair. I'm not gonna help you if you don't give me my space," Cid demanded.

"It's been two hours and we haven't found_ anyone. _I'm just getting testy, I guess," Reno said.

Cid snorted, "Found something."

Reno pushed Cid and his swivel chair from the screen and read its contents. "Looks like Zexion and Marluxia are in Brooklyn," Reno said to Rude.

Rude snickered, "Are they _together_?"

A pencil flew across the room and hit Rude in the face, "How the hell should I know?" Reno skimmed the rest of the data, "It appears that all the Organization members are in pairs, except one."

Cid pushed his way to look back at the screen, "Correction, it appears that all the Organization members are in pairs in the same general locations. Doesn't mean they've actually found each other."

Reno rubbed small circles on his temples. He was not getting paid enough for this, "Fucking useless GPS. Well, Axel and Roxas seem to be in the closest vicinity of each other. Might as well find them. We can keep our eyes out for anyone else."

Reno nodded to Cid as he walked out of the store. He hit the number "1" on his speed dial, "We have approximate locations."

"_Good. Hercules said he'll help me down here until you find the Organization, but hurry. He won't be able to hold them for too long once they get here," _Auron said.

"We're working on it," Reno snapped his phone closed.

* * *

The next morning, Axel woke to the sounds of horns and sirens. Just another average day in New York City. It was rather early for the red head to be away, he knew it by the weight of his eyelids. Stretching did wonders for his back, but nothing for the sleep he still wished to have.

Getting ready for the day went quickly for Axel. Before he knew it, him and Riku were heading to the New York Times to look for Sora. When the front desk refused entrance clearance to the pair, Riku grew angry. Axel calmed down his friend and lead him back onto the sidewalk.

"Those fucking pricks. It's not like I'm a terrorist or anything," Riku exclaimed.

"I know," Axel sighed. "Let's just walk around the block or something. He's bound to leave for lunch at some point."

"True that," Riku replied.

The pair walked the block a few dozen times, staying surprisingly quiet the entire time.

"I give up," the silver haired man finally said.

Riku's voice startled Axel from his own thoughts, "Give up what?"

"On Sora," Riku stopped to take a seat on a bench. "I don't even know if he likes me. I just want him to. It's pointless really."

Axel took a seat on the bench as well, "I don't know what to tell you. I would say go for it, but it's up to you. You know him better than I do."

"I know. It's just, hard, you know? Loving someone and never seeing them. Not even knowing if they still, or ever did love you back. It wears a person down," Riku put his head into his hands.

"I know exactly how you feel and it's only been three days since I've seen Roxas," Axel pated Riku's back.

"I don't want to feel like this," Riku suddenly stood. "I want to be happy again. And if it means giving up on Sora, then I guess I'll have to deal. But I can't stay depressed forever."

Axel looked to his friend, "You gotta do what you gotta do. Just know I'm not giving up yet."

Riku chuckled as he motioned for Axel to follow, "Wouldn't expect you to. You already know he loves you."

"Right..." Axel stood and walked beside Riku.

The searching went on for about 10 hours. Ten long hours of walking, riding subways and peering in windows in site of Axel's lost love. But the day had turned to twilight, and the roommates still needed to speak with their landlord about the lease.

They arrived at the apartment complex around 6:00 p.m. Riku led Axel to the office.

"I'm warning you, he's a strange guy. Don't get on his bad side. I'm pretty sure he's killed people for that shit," Riku said quietly as they approached the office door.

"And why do you live here again?" Axel questioned.

"The rent's decent," Riku shrugged. "I don't know. There's just something about the place that reminds me of back home. No idea what though."

With that Riku knocked on the door. Axel could hear someone stir from inside the room. The door opened and revealed on heck of a man.

"Hello. I'm Vincent. Please come in."

* * *

Woo! Twist!

Loveless Lies epilogue up around Friday/Saturday. Go read it.

--Em

PS: sorry for typos, I'm lazy.


	5. Disenchanted

I work for the Daily Kent Stater. I have like three stories a week in there. It's consuming my life. Not to mention I'm an copy editor for the Burr magazine and have my "real" job at a doctor's office.

In other words, sorry, but updating will take a while. I assure you it will happen. I'm just not guaranteeing when.

* * *

_A Beautiful Letdown_

_Chapter 5: Disenchanted_

* * *

"Is that guy _always_ that how do I put it, _odd_?" Axel asked.

Riku and Axel had been practically demanded to appear at the welcoming party at the end of the week. Vincent seem quite set on all his tenets appearing.

"Yep," Riku chuckled as he opened the door to their apartment. "The pictures on his wall...they seem familiar."

"Yeah, I noticed that, too," Axel found himself a spot on the couch, turning on the TV. The pictures were familiar to Axel, but the more he thought about them, the harder it was to remember. "I don't think I've been there. Maybe I've just heard of whatever place was in the pictures."

Riku sat on the other end of the couch and shrugged, "Oh well. So, up for a movie?"

Axel reclined back stretching his arms and legs that had become quite tired after 10 hours of walking, "Sounds good."

Riku took the remote from Axel's hand, "I think _Clerks 2_ is in the DVD. Any objections?"

"None in the least," Axel knew he wouldn't pay attention to the movie. He probably would fall asleep within 10 minutes.

As the screen flickered, Axel's eyes glazed over. He was lost to his dreams.

"_Axey! We get to go back home!" Roxas said as he grabbed his cloak and put it on._

_The redhead walked behind his lover and placed his arms around his lover's waist, nuzzling his face in blond hair, "I wonder where Auron's taking us."_

"_I don't care as long as you're there," Roxas turned around in his love's arms. "Don't ever leave me."_

"_Why would I do that?" Axel smirked as he took the younger boy's lips into his own. "I'll never leave you."_

"_Promise?"_

"_Promise."_

_Axel took the boy of his dreams into his arms. It had taken so long to win Roxas over and now...now they were going to have the rest of their lives with each other._

_Axel's strong arms pulled Roxas onto the bed, not thinking twice about its sudden appearance. Hands ripped at clothing while lips met each others'._

_Lips crashed into each other and only moans escaped. Never before had Roxas shown so much passion. Roxas almost gained dominance—key word: almost. _

"_Roxas..." Axel moaned as he rolled from his lover._

_He rolled to his right and Roxas was gone. All of the sudden, Axel was standing. No one around for miles. He sat in an open field--only a willow tree was in sight._

_Feet hit the ground at a rapid pace as Axel sped toward the tree. He could see someone standing under its branches. As he kept gaining the speed, the tree seemed to be moving further away. _

_After what seemed like hours, Axel arrived at the tree. He moved what seemed like thousands of willow branches in search of the person hiding._

"_Who the hell are you?" Axel asked as he continued searching._

_Just as the last syllable escaped his lips, Riku appeared behind him._

"_I've been waiting for you," Riku grabbed Axel's hand and spun his friend around._

"_Riku..I.." Axel moved his eyes to match Riku's. Just as his eyes met the other's, a light flashed._

_Axel was blinded for a few seconds. When he regained his vision, he was in a never-ending white room. Roxas' silhouette flashed in the distance. A girl with blond hair sat at a white table._

"_Forget him, Axel," Namine said. "He's forgotten you."_

"Are you sleeping?"

Axel jumped from his seat, sweat dripping down his face. He tried to regain some form of composure. "I hate when people ask me that," he murmured as he wiped the sweat from his brow.

"Are you all right?" Riku raised an eyebrow at the state of his roommate.

"Yeah," Axel replied. "I just had a dream..er..nightmare, or something. I'm ok." He couldn't figure out what that dream had been. Sure, the end had been quite an upset, but the beginning..._It felt so real, _Axel thought.

Riku propped his feet up on the end table place in front of the couch, "Glad to hear it."

"So, I should get to bed. I have work in the morning," Axel said. He doubted his ability to sleep after that dream, but he didn't want to be around people, neither.

Riku snickered, "Fine. Go to bed at 9 at night, _old man_."

Axel threw a pillow at Riku, "And just _when _do you actually work_? A_nd _what_ do you do for a living? I have never seen _you_ go to work since I've been here."

"A little of this, a little of that," a smile appeared on Riku's face. "Nothing I'm proud of.

Axel honestly didn't want to know what his roommate was eluding to. "Riiight...I'm going to bed."

"Suit yourself," Riku flipped through the Tivo and selected Southpark. "See you in the morning."

By the time Riku had bid Axel goodnight, the redhead has made it to his room. He laid one his bed, unable to sleep. For some reason, his dream had imprinted itself in Axel's brain. Namine's words had struck a cord in Axel's heart.

"He wouldn't forget me," Axel reassured himself. "He couldn't..."

* * *

$3000 doesn't go as far as one may think in a city like New York. It had been three days since Roxas entered the city, and he now had less than $200 to his name. Sora was at work, but had left Roxas the want ads.

Nothing really grabbed his eye. He had no marketable skills for this world. He slumped into the couch and continued to read. If he hadn't hated kids so much, he could be a babysitter. The thought made him shutter.

His coffee had gone cold by the time he had reached the end of the section. Roxas decided that the newspaper was a waste. It was time to go wonder the streets, yet again.

I wasn't a horrible day, just a tad muggy. Roxas ditched his usual garb for a black tank and lighter cargo pants, both of which belonged to Sora. He sighed at his reflection in the mirror. It wasn't that Roxas looked like hell, he really didn't. It was just his facial expressions that did him in. Ever since he arrived in the city, he had been a tad under the weather. Not seeing the man you love will do that to you.

Sure meeting Sora's friends had been fun, but being in a bar just reminded Roxas of Axel. Axel loved to mix drinks and was pretty decent at it...

"Holy shit!" something went off in Roxas' head. "If I need a job Axel would need one, too, and all Axel is good at is bar tending..." Roxas finished his conversation with himself and sped out of the apartment.

He stood on a crowded street, as most streets in New York are. Spinning around, the blond could count about 10 bars within his eye sight alone. He also spotted a nicer restaurant with a now hiring sign.

_First things first, I need a job, _Roxas thought. _Then, I'll be able to find Axel._

The day had proved slightly productive. Not only had the blond got a job as a server, he had word on an unruly redhead spotted at a few bars looking for a job. Sure, Roxas hadn't found Axel, but he had more information than before.

It was some time after 8 p.m. when Roxas passed the Lime Spider. He knew Cloud was working and hoped he had any information on the new kid they had hired. The bouncer recognized Roxas' wild blond hair and directed him to Cloud's part of the bar.

"Hey there," Cloud greeted as he washed a glass. "Need a drink?"

"Yes, please."

Within seconds, a cold beer appeared before him. Roxas enjoyed half his beverage before continuing his conversation.

"So, Cloud, any word on that new guy?" Roxas tried to sound nonchalant, but any one could hear the hope in his words.

"He didn't work today," Cloud grabbed another beer for his friend. "Word around the office is, the new guy is actually quiet at work, despite his outburst while being drunk."

"What do you mean?" Roxas wanted, no, needed, to know exactly what this guy was like.

Cloud shrugged, "He wasn't very talkative on his shift. Basically kept to himself. Like he didn't care about anything. Really disconnected."

Roxas sighed, "Not like my Axel at all." He left Cloud a tip and stood from the bar. "I'm going to head home. It's been a shitty day. See you tomorrows?"

"You bet," Cloud waved goodbye.

All Roxas wanted to do was sleep. Sleep is a wonderful invention. A person can get away from their life for six to eight hours and sometimes can create a whole new life within their dreams.

Sleep is what Roxas needed. Sleep is what everyone needed.

* * *

"Don't play games with me, Marluxia," Reno spat in the man's direction. "I don't give a shit about your past with Axel. What I need is for you to go look for him and the blond."

"Why should I?" Marluxia flipped his pink hair over his shoulder. "Why should I give a shit? I have all I could ever want right here."

Reno took a second and looked around Marluxia's apartment. Drugs paraphernalia, broken bottles and trash cluttered the small room. "This place is shit, Marly. And you know as well as I do that if we don't help Auron, he'll send us to the seventh circle of Hell."

The man kicked a bottle, "I like my place just fine." Marluxia sat in silence on the couch for a few minutes in silence. He knew he had to go with Reno, but, honestly, he didn't want to. He was done with fighting, hurting and killing. The only person he was up for harming these days was himself.

Finally, Marluxia stood and motioned Reno to a table. His hands grabbed a piece of paper and a pen. "Here's my cell. Write your's down. I'll look for Axel and Roxas."

"Good choice," Reno nodded as he scribbled his digits down.

"Tell me, Reno, what have you heard of the rest of the Organization?" Marluxia asked.

Reno shrugged, "You're the first one I've found. Rude's checking in later."

"So, nothing on Zex?" Marluxia was trying his hardest to sound like he didn't care.

Reno grabbed his coat from the chair. "Cid said you and Zex are in the same general location. We think he's within a 2-mile radius of here. My suggestion would be to go look for him. I'm heading back to the hotel for the night."

Marluxia nodded. _Finally...I'll be able to see him.._he thought. "Thanks. Call me if anyone shows up."

Reno left the apartment. Marluxia found himself a clean needle and gave himself a fix. Sure, he wasn't the spiteful nobody he once was, but was his new persona any better?

As the heroine shot through his veins he closed his eyes and let the ecstasy take over.

_If he were here, I wouldn't do this, _Marluxia reasoned. In his mind, he doubted the validity of his statement.

* * *

Axel strolled into the kitchen at 10 a.m. He had about an hour before work. Enough time to shower and eat.

"Well, aren't you getting up late?" Riku asked.

Axel snorted, "Do you sleep? Ever?"

Riku chuckled, "Kinda. Why sleep when you live in New York City?"

"Good point, I suppose," Axel poured himself a much-needed cup of coffee. He sat at the table and grabbed the Arts & Living section of the paper.

"So, no Roxas searching this morning?" Riku asked as he read the comics.

"I had planned on it, but sleep sounded so good to me," Axel didn't think twice about his response.

"Oh, I see," the silver-haired man's attention still on the funnies.

Axel eyes Riku. "What is that supposed to mean?"

Riku turned the page while shrugging. "Nothing I suppose," he said over the top of the paper. "Just weird to see you lose your luster for finding your love so soon."

The redhead placed his coffee on the table, glaring his roommate. "What? So sleeping is giving up on Roxas?" Axel asked.

"I dunno," Riku's devilish smile was hidden behind cheap newsprint. "Just thought if you really loved someone, you'd be out there every second trying to find them, that's all."

"Fuck you, Riku," Axel stood from the table.

"Hey now, just voicing an opinion," Riku said in his defense.

"Yeah, well, I love Roxas. Taking a day to sleep in isn't going to change that," Axel started to leave the room, completely annoyed with Riku's attitude.

"Ever wonder if he's looking for you?" Riku went on pretending to be interested in world affairs.

"Huh?" he stopped in his tracks.

"I mean, you're always out there, searching for hours for the boy," Riku put the paper down. "Do you think he's doing the same?"

"Of course, he is," Axel said automatically.

Riku nodded, "Just making sure."

"Whatever, Riku," with that, Axel took leave of the awkward conversation and took a shower.

But still, as random and out of place as Riku's comments were, they were sticking in his mind. Much like his dream from the day before had.

_Riku's just being an ass, _Axel reassured himself. _Roxas is looking for me. I am looking for him. It's going to work out._

Somewhere, deep inside the caverns of his mind, Axel's thoughts were trying to convince him otherwise.

* * *

Roxas' first day of work went rather well. He had made a nice chunk of change delivering food the the moderately wealthy portion of New York. The eight hour work day had taken its toll on Roxas' legs. The short walk home seemed to be taking forever.

Roxas looked forward to a quiet night of TV and sleep. New York City might had the best night life, but none of it seemed worth it. Not without the one he loved there to share in the fun.

"Roxas!" Sora screeched. "Leon and Cloud and I are playing cards tonight."

Roxas peered into the room, "I can see that."

"What I think Sora meant was, would you like to play cards with us?" Leon clarified.

"I kinda just wanted to sleep," Roxas answered truthfully.

"Aw, come on, kid. One hand won't kill you," Cloud smiled and motioned Roxas to the table.

Roxas shrugged and took his seat. _A few hands of eurche won't kill me, _he thought.

Leon shuffled the cards and dealt five cards to each player. "So, did you get a job?"

"Actually, I did," Roxas said. His focus was mostly on the cards. "I'm a server for the time being."

"Nice," Leon added.

A weird silence fell over the table. Usually, Sora would be overly excited and Roxas would have to tell him to shut up. Something wasn't right. Everyone knew it.

"So..." Roxas had to break the ice somehow. "Sora, how goes things?"

Sora slumped in his chair, placing a Jack of Hearts on the cards, "Nothin'."

Cloud nudged his friend, "Seriously, you've been out of it today."

Sora's eyes darted around the room until they met Roxas'. Roxas could feel distress in his other, just one of those weird things Nobodies have.

"I miss Riku," Sora's eyes grew a brilliant shade of blue. Under any other circumstance, they would have been beautiful, but the tears made the beauty fade. "It's all my fault."

Cloud placed a comforting hand on Sora's shoulder, "It's ok. You were confused."

"I know, but, but.." Sora paused for a moment. Sometimes people keep emotions inside. They hide them with happiness. They seem perfect, but inside they're screaming. And sometimes, the internal screaming becomes very external. "But I MISS him! It I would have trusted him, accepted him, or done ANYTHING differently, he would be here right not. And he's not. He's out there, doing stuff, without me. I try to be happy, but I'm NOT. At all. I just want him back.. I just..just.." Sora couldn't speak. Tears rolled down his eyes and were lost on his lips.

Roxas, being once part of Sora, felt his pain. He stood and held his friend in his arms. They sat on the floor while Cloud and Leon looked upon them in shock, not knowing what to do with Sora's sudden outburst of pent-up emotion.

"Sora, you'll find him," Roxas said while patting Sora's brown spikes.

Sora sniffed, "He's moved on."

Leon shook his head. "That's crazy. From what you've said about him, he's as much in love with you as you are with him."

"No," Sora grew quiet, once again. "I can't feel him anymore."

"What are you talking about?" Cloud asked.

Sora removed himself from Roxas' arms. "When two people love each other, in any sort of way, they are connected." Blue eyes saw that only Roxas knew what he was talking about. Sora rolled his eyes and continued his explanation. "Like, you finish each other's sentences, or pick up the phone to call them and they're already on the other line. Small stuff like that. But there's also this feeling I used to get. It told me that no matter what, Riku cared. And now, that feeling is fading."

Roxas stood next to his friend. "Some part of Riku still cares. You can't turn off your emotions like a light switch. You just need to see him..."

"I can't find him. Like you can't find Axel. This city is impossible," Sora sat dramatically sat down on his hair with his arms folded across his chest.

"Your hearts will find each other," Leon said. "Like mine and Cloud's did."

"Wait. So you guys were separated when you got here, too?" Roxas asked.

Cloud nodded, "Yeah. We were, but we found each other."

"It was odd how it happened. We actually had been living on the same block for a few days before we found each other. I guess it's been happening to a lot of people from our realm," Leon shrugged and threw in his cards. The game had obviously been over for quite some time.

"Come to think of it, you and Riku are the first pair I've heard of to be brought over together," Cloud said.

Sora rested his head on his hands, "And I fucked that one up."

"Don't worry about it. If what Leon and Cloud are saying is true, than Riku is probably right around the corner," Roxas said. "Wait, that would mean Axel is around here, wouldn't it?"

"I suppose. I'm not promising anything," Leon said.

Just the thought of being close to Axel made Roxas smile. But soon, the smile faded. He, too, was losing the feeling of his love's presence. Sure, he had been denying it, but he new it was fading. All Roxas had to do was find Axel before the feeling was gone. Everything would be ok after that.

Little did Roxas know, ok would bring heartache. Ok would bring hurt. Ok would have a price.

The question Roxas needed to as himself is: Is ok really worth it?

* * *

I like the direction I'm going with this story a lot more now. It's going to take some time, but I assure you I will press on.

-- Em


	6. Hit or Miss

I"m not going to apologize for the long absence. Things have been hell on earth in my life. I have three jobs and my boyfriend of two and a half years broke up with me. Not to mention, I have to push back my college graduation date a semester because journalism in raping me. I write a lot, just for school and the paper I work for...soo.. yeah.

In other news, this chapter is intense. I hope you enjoy.

_A Beautiful Letdown_

_Chapter Six: Hit or Miss_

Love is a funny thing. To some people it's wonderful, to other's it's a chore. To Roxas, it had become a burden. This may seem awkward, because Roxas did love Axel, but every time he thought of the redhead, only hurt surfaced. He hated not seeing Axel...not feeling Axel. T

he nights moved slowly without his presence on the bed next to him. Roxas woke from his light sleep and laid on the bed, wishing he was back in Hell. At least there he could be with the person he loved.

But the thing that really got Roxas, is that it had only been five days since he had seen Axel. Let's be honest, five days is not a long time. Certainly, not long enough to be feeling so depressed over not seeing someone. People went on business trips longer than five days, they visited parents for longer than five days...

"Why do I feel like shit?" Roxas said to himself. The question was real. The answer would surprise anyone, but no one knew.

Roxas had to be at work in a few hours. He didn't make any progress toward taking a shower or eating breakfast. Instead, he continued to think. There was a lot to think about. Mainly, where the hell to look for Axel next.

"Hey," Sora said as he cracked the door open. "I'm going to work in a few. Can you talk for a sec?"

Roxas nodded. Sora was a great friend. Sure, Sora was more than a friend to Roxas; he was somebody. But Sora had helped Roxas greatly over the course of the week.

"Sure," Roxas said as he sat up. "What's going on?"

"I woke up this morning and had a voice mail...," Sora sighed, "from Riku."

"What?!" Roxas smiled. "What did it say?" He had hoped for some time that Riku and Sora would work out. He knew Sora loved the boy. The past had been a misunderstanding. Sora and Riku deserved each other.

"He says it's over," Sora looked at his feet. He wasn't crying; he was emotionless.

"Huh? Why?" Roxas asked.

Sora looked up and caught sight of Roxas' eyes. They pierced through Sora's heart. Roxas deserved to know the truth. So, Sora swallowed, took a deep breath and gave it to him:

"He said it's over. He's...he's found someone else," Sora paused. Roxas' eyes showed Sora he had to continue. "He said he's in love with Axel. They are living together somewhere. I don't know the details. I don't know anything. I don't even know how he got this number. I got the phone after I moved out of the apartment...I don't get it...There wasn't even a missed call..." Sora finished.

Roxas blinked. That's all his body could do. He couldn't breathe. He couldn't speak. He couldn't think.

"So...Axel doesn't love me...Riku doesn't love you...They love each other?" Roxas was trying to work through this rather difficult concept.

"Riku loves Axel," Sora's eyes filled with water. "I don't know if Axel loves him. I just know no one loves me."

A strong wave of empathy crashed over Roxas' body, "Sora...I'm so sorry." Roxas thought about how it must feel to know that the only person you love, loves someone else.

Sora sniffed. He wasn't crying loudly, he was just crying. He had been crying for hours. It almost seemed like a new part of his life that he would just have to get used to. "It's..okay.. I guess. I don't know. Something isn't right. I just wish I could see him, or talk to him..."

"Yeah. You will, one day. People just don't fall off the face of the earth," Roxas tried to reassure his friend. "Like Leon and Cloud said, Axel and Riku are probably just around the corner."

"I hope so," Sora stood and wiped his eyes. "I can't give up on him. I know I can't."

Roxas stood for the first time that day to pat his friend on the back. "That's the spirit."

"I suppose," Sora smiled for the first time that day. "It's just a voice mail. He coulda been drunk of something." Sora walked toward the door. "I'm going to work. I have a huge story on Obama. Go find Axel."

"I have to work," Roxas sighed.

"Not until noon," Sora smiled. "Besides, what's more important: a few bucks or the one you love?" With those words Sora exited the room.

Roxas' body fell onto the bed. He knew he probably should be looking for Axel. He should always be looking for Axel. But right now, all he wanted was to sleep. He longed for dreams. He longed for the fake sense of security that they held.

So, Roxas slept the entire three and a half hours he had to spare before work.

He returned from his serving job to a darkened apartment. Roxas made the short trek to hiss, stopping before Sora's door to see if his friend had made it home from work. Sure enough, the brunet was sound asleep—something Roxas decided was a good idea.

The clock beside Roxas' bed claimed it to be midnight. The sight of the time made Roxas wish he hadn't worked the double shift. A sigh fell from his lips as he let his body fall onto the bed. As soon as he was comfortable, his mind gave into sleep.

He woke from his precious slumber with a jolt. Immediately, he walked from his room to the bathroom. Hands turned on the water and splashed some onto his face. Blue eyes looked into the mirror filled with concern.

This sleep had been different from the rest. Roxas always remembered his dreams. He always did. That was why he loved sleep so much. He could be with Axel. He could be happy.

Except tonight. Tonight he couldn't remember anything. The only thing he knew, is that something _terrible_ had happened.

Roxas shook his head from side to side, trying to make the horrible feeling leave his body. No matter how hard he tried, he _knew_ something was happening.

Then, a light went off inside Roxas' cluttered mind.

"Axel..." he said as a tear rolled down his cheek.

"What have you done?"

Xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx

It was half past midnight when Marluxia passed BarCode. He had never been inside the club, even though it was only a block from his apartment. Marluxia was used to hanging out by himself or in the company of those who didn't matter: drugs dealers, stoners, drunks. Going out of the apartment was a big step for the man. Then again, if it meant not being alone anymore, Marluxia was up for it.

Upon entering the club, he noticed it was not the type of place he would except a man like Zexion to inhabit. Lights flashed as young adults took LSD and PCP. Sure, Marluxia felt at home, but for a soul like Zexion's, a large crowd was not what he had in mind.

Still, in between the flashing of the strobe lights and the bass of the techno, Marluxia found a dark side to the club. As he approached he noticed two people sitting at a hip-top table. His pace slightly quickened as he reached the couple.

"Zex?" Marluxia saw the wild hair that he had pretended to hate for so long. "Is that you?"

The man turned his head, "Marluxia?" Zexion looked at the man with confusion on his face. "What do you want?"

Marluxia had started to perspire, not from nervousness, but from the lack of drugs pulsating through his veins. "I..I wanted to say I was sorry for being an asshole to you before...," the man didn't know how to say that everything that went on in Castle Oblivion had been a mistake. He only wanted approval. He only wanted to be loved. "The truth is, I think I love you."

Zexion raised an eyebrow, "I thought you would say that. His hand motioned to the other man at the table, "But I've moved on."

Marluxia's face paled at the sight of the blond sitting at the table with Zex. In the excitement of finally finding Zexion, Marluxia overlooked the other man that had been at the table the entire time. "Demyx? What the...? Why?..."

The man with the mullet/mohawk shrugged, "Honestly. I don't know how it happened. I had a few dreams about Zex. They seemed so real...Then I saw him again...I dunno."

"Dreams aren't real," Marluxia grabbed Zexion's shoulder and raised the man to his feet. "This is real." He pressed his lips against the shorter mans'. He had wanted to kiss Zexion for so long. The feeling was everything he had hoped it to be.

Surprisingly, Zexion didn't back away from the kiss and Demyx didn't throw anything at Marluxia for invading his territory. Instead, Demyx lost his attention span and went to the bar to order another while Zexion deepened the kiss.

After a minute or two, Zexion finally pulled back. "I shouldn't have done that."

"Why the hell not?" Marluxia asked. "You don't have a make-out session with someone and then declare it shouldn't have happened."

Zexion sat back down. "Things are so fucked up right now," he sighed. "I thought I liked you until Deymx' told me about his dreams and his feelings. It was like you were completely but out of my mind."

"And now?" Marluxia wanted to know where he stood, if he even had a chance with the man he loved.

"After that," Zexion paused. "Demyx isn't an option."

Marluxia smiled and motioned Demyx back to the table. "So, are you pissed at me?" he asked the blond.

"Actually, I'm not. Some pare of me knew it wasn't going to work out," Demyx shrugged.

"Weird," Marluxia couldn't hide the smiled forming on his lips. It had been so long since he had a reason to smile. "Well, Reno's looking for us. Something about Auron needing our help."

"Really? What's going on?" Zexion asked as he took Marluxia's hand.

"I don't know, exactly. We should head back to my place. It's kind of a shit hole, but it's spacious. Reno will be able to find us there," Marluxia looked at the two men at the table. They nodded and stood.

Three down, 10 to go.

XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX

"Get the** fuck** out of here," Black hair outlined dark red eyes that could pierce through anyone's soul.

"Oh, but Vincent, you _want_ me to be here," a smirk fell to pale lips as the man flipped his silver hair over his shoulder.

"Like hell I do," Vincent slammed his hands on the table. "I know what you've been doing."

"I _could_ help you," green eyes filled with evil. "I could make him yours."

"Fuck you," Vincent said coldly at the other. "I don't need your bullshit. No one does."

The man sitting in Vincent's office reached into his pocket and pulled out a small sphere. He placed it on the desk, "Look."

Vincent hesitantly picked up the small glass ball. The light hit it just right, and he could see everything. A shudder grew throughout the man's body. An unsettling feeling began to take control, "What is this?"

"It's everything and nothing at all," another evil smirk traced his lips. "It was given to me by..."

Vincent took the sphere and threw it as hard as he could against the wall. The ball didn't shatter, that would be too easy, but it made Vincent feel better about himself.

"I don't fucking care where you got it from. Just don't use it on me, or anyone else I know," Vincent glared and pointed to the door. "Get out."

The man stood and bowed. "As you wish." He walked to the door and just as he was about to exit the office, he glanced back at Vincent, "But, you're too late."

XXXXXXXXXXXXXXX

The night before hadn't been the most exciting. Axel came home and, of course, Riku was lying on the couch. They had a lazy night of TV and pizza. Nothing exciting. Just another day.

The next morning was nothing special, either. Axel woke up, walked around the city for a while, went to work around 12 and came home at 5:30. But tonight is different from the previous nights: Riku wasn't home. Instead of being greeted by the silver-hair man, Axel was greeted by a not left on the fridge.

_Axel,_

_I'm working tonight. I heard about a party at the complex down the block. 3771 East Waterloo. Apartment 324. Be there around 11._

_-Riku_

Axel chuckled at the demanding tone of Riku's note. He knew he needed a night out to have fun and forget about everything. A party with people he didn't know might be exactly what he needed.

He had about five hours to killed before his night out. The bar wanted him to come in at noon the next day. A nap would probably be best. Parties, well at least the good ones, didn't end until dawn.

His sleep had been quiet. Axel woke with no memory of the dreams that had taken place during his rest. He didn't know the affect of those dreams. He only knew that there was a party in 30 minutes, and he would be dammed if he missed it.

The front door to the complex had been wedged upon with a door stop to alleviate the need of buzzing to get in. Axel climbed the stairs to the apartment. He didn't need to memorize the number; music poured from the room into the hallway. All Axel needed was to follow the sound.

He opened the door and bass hit his face. Vibrations moved his hair and clothing. People were scattered throughout the apartment. At first glance, he guess there to be at least 20 in the foyer-area. Cat-like eyes scanned the area looking for Riku's silver hair. Sure, Axel love to party, but not by himself.

He pushed past couples making out and dancing until he reached the living room. Two men in black cloaks caught his eyes. Axel's pace quickened until his hand fell on a shoulder, "Maluxia!" Axel tried to shout over the music.

Marluxia turned his body around and his eyes lit up. "Oh my god! Axel...How's it goin'?" Marluxia held his hand up and Axel took it. Bringing Marluxia in for a brief hug.

"Eh, all right. I'm livin' with Riku now," Axel smiled. He missed his Organization friends, almost as much as he missed Roxas. "So, who's all here?"

Marluxia pulled Axel in with one hand, as the other held a beer and pointed around the room: "Well, Demyx is over there DJing. Reno's somewhere with Rude." He paused to smile, "And Zex's is in the kitchen."

Axel slapped his friend on the back, "Damn. So you're together now?"

"Fuck yeah we are," Marluxia yelled. His attention went from Axel to a man walking into the room. "Riku, dude, you didn't tell me your roommate is Axel?"

Riku was dressed in tight black jeans. He wore a Causalities T-shirt with a jean vest covered in patches and studs. He looked... odd.

"Riku, what's up with the clothes?" Axel checked out Riku's outfit. He had never seen him dress like this. Then again, they had only been living together for five days...

Riku shrugged, "I'm working. This is what I wear." Riku's eyes found someone else's off in the distance. He nodded to catch their approval. "Hey," he grabbed Axel and pulled his ear to his lips. "I'll be back. Don't go anywhere."

There was something almost seductive in his voice.

Riku turned from Axel and walked off.

"He deals," Marluxia stated. "He's been my guy since I got here."

"You serious?" Sure, Axel knew Riku worked at weird hours, but drug dealing, now that was a little too intense for Axel's blood.

"He's making a shit load," Marluxia lit a cigarette. "How else do you explain your guys' place?"

He had a point. Their apartment kicked ass. Before Axel could try to continue his conversation with Marluxia, Riku had returned. He grabbed Axel's arm and dragged him down the hallway. People parted as Riku made his way to a spare bedroom. He opened the door and pulled Axel into the room.

Axel soon found himself quite literally up against a wall. Riku had pushed Axel's hands above his head and onto the wall. Aquamarine eyes met green. There was something in Riku's eyes. Sometime almost evil. Something full of lust. Axel tried to look away but was brought back to the longing stare. The taller man tried to break free from the arms of his roommate, but it seemed that in that instant, Riku had gained the strength of millions.

Riku's lips curled into a seductive smile as he forced them upon Axel's. Green cat-like eyes widened at the touch of Riku's lips against his own. At first, he tried to push the other away, but was soon taken in by Riku's spell.

Axel closed his eyes and let his emotions take control. Probably not his best idea, but what would anyone do given the current situation. Axel was alone in a unfamiliar city, separated from his man and living with, by far, the sexiest man in existence.

So, Axel let his lips do the talking. He pushed his tongue through Riku's slightly parted lips. The feeling was electric.

He didn't know how long he had been attached to his roommates lips, but at some point, Axel's eyes finally opened. He remembered Roxas.

Axel used all his will power to pry the man from his body.

"What the hell was that?" Axel practically shouted.

Apparently, Riku was jolted by the same realization as Axel. "I don't know..." Riku shook his head. "Axel, I'm sorry. I shouldn't have...I don't know why I..." His eyes looked to Axel's, filled with tears and sorrow. "Sora..."

By this time, the strong Riku was broken down into tiny tears that fell from his eyes. Axel couldn't stand the sight of his friend broken_. So what if he had kissed him_, thought Axel. He moved Riku from his stand position onto the bed. Riku instantly fell into Axel's lap, speaking incoherently between sobs.

Axel idly stroked his friends perfect silver hair. He looked to the ceiling and shook his head, "What the fuck is going on?..."

Eh.. not too good not too bad. At least it's out there. The shit will hit the fan soon. BTW...

--Sarah-Emily


End file.
